The development of "Wings of the Goddess", a new FINAL FANTASY XI expansion disc, was announced today at the SQUARE ENIX PARTY 2007.In conjunction with this announcement, a new site has been created to provide the latest development details as they become available, as well as give fans the opportunity to view exclusive images from the expansion.

Perhaps you would simply like to enjoy a quiet cup of tea alone with a close friend. Maybe you finally arranged all of your furniture just so, and feel compelled to show it off to that special someone. Or perhaps you are the entertaining type, and want nothing more than to play host to a special guest of honor.

If any of the above applies to you, then look no further!

Following a dramatic reworking of official Mog House Management Union (herein referred to as the MHMU) policy, players will now be able to freely invite guests into their Mog Houses.

This most recent improvement to Mog Houses across Vana'diel comes at the behest of Prince Trion, Lion of the Kingdom of San d'Oria:

"Those familiar with my quarters in the Chateau d'Oraguille are aware that they are being constantly and freely visited by adventurers at their leisure, ofttimes unannounced. Contrast this with the Mog Houses of these very same adventurers, where dated regulations strictly prohibit the entry of any but the sole resident. Why, I ask you, are these private residences managed in the same manner as our wartime barracks?

"And so I, as a member of the royal line of d'Oraguille, decree with the strongest of convictions that this state of affairs is both unfair, and unjust!

"Our adventurers should be able to open their private domains to the public, should they so desire. The discretion, nay, the very right to invite and entertain guests should lie with none other than the adventurers themselves."

Despite the somewhat strong personal nature of the prince's proposal, the heads of the three nations eagerly expressed their immediate approval. They had, in fact, been searching since last year for a way to reward Vana'diel's adventurers for their continued service.

At first, the MHMU opposed the opening of Mog Houses to guests, citing concern for the safety and welfare of adventurers everywhere. However, recognizing the ultimate necessity and precedence of individual freedom, they conceded at last, and adventurers can now rest assured in the fact that their latest Mog House renovation has the full sanctioning of the MHMU.

So what new use will you find for your Mog House? A museum of sorts to showcase all of your precious collectibles? A relaxed sit-in café with just the right ambience? Or perhaps even a base of operations to discuss your party's battle strategy?

The choice is yours!

Illustration by Mitsuhiro Arita

Up until now, players have been unable to welcome other characters into their Mog Houses. The Mog House was initially established as an isolated area where players could not only escape the hustle and bustle of the city, but also where bandwidth could be reduced to an absolute minimum for those inside, thereby reducing the overall burden on the servers. This would also reduce client-side load as well, since there would be less characters than in the city areas, ultimately reducing overall CPU time.

However, it has now been five years since FINAL FANTASY XI service began, and the three nations of San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst have seen a dramatic decentralization of their populations to other urban centers. This, combined with the server hardware upgrade planned to coincide with the release of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, has brought about a marked increase in our servers' capacities. This allowed for a rethinking of Mog House functionality, and resulted in this new feature.

This new feature does not require the Wings of the Goddess expansion, and will be available to all players.